An Angel Among Nurses for Patients With Lung Cancer

Lilian Reed, RN, has been the lung cancer nurse navigator at Hoag Family Cancer Institute for about 18 years. She has been in the navigator position longer than any of the rest of us navigators. Most of her patients call her their angel. Her voice is calm and soothing, and her words are confident, just what the person on the other end needs to hear. At the tumor boards, the physicians treat her as their best friend, and they rely on her greatly.

From left: Lilian Reed, RN, and Sandra Southerland, B.S.N., RN, OCN. Photo provided by Hoag Family Cancer Institute.

Several years ago, she worked with a pulmonologist to start up the lung cancer screening program. Sometime after that, the role was transferred out of her hands, and the screening got a year behind. She took it back on, and she found three early-stage lung cancers.

Lilian facilitates the lung cancer support group. Yearly, she pays out of her own pocket to give awards and refreshments to her patients. Annually, she also leads the lung cancer walk. Lilian is a gentle soul who was placed on Earth for this purpose: to guide those with the most common cancer there is. She has done all this while being the single mother of five children, all now amazing adults. She also has received the highest award for customer service called the George Hoag Pride Award.

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